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Disappointing Sequel, Poor Editing, but Great Leads Chemistry for a romance drama.

Subjective Gut Rating; 8.0
Objective Rating as a sequel: 5.0-7.0

Rating this drama is interesting because I can go either way. Did I have a good time watching it? Yes, I did because I enjoyed the romance in the first 8 episodes quite a lot. But is this a good sequel to an amazing season 1? Absolutely not. No more badass FL and poor editing and storytelling.

I reviewed in Season 1 that I find the chemistry between the leads a little lacking. I might be in the minority, as I don’t mind the lead actress changing to Go Young Jung and I find her beautiful and perfect as the amnesiac and inexperienced FL. Jang Uk (ML) has gone through a lot in the last three years, and his personality is totally different than in season 1. Meeting the sunny and optimistic Jin Bu Yeong (FL) is what he needs at that point in his life. I like how she’s the one to recognize him (unconsciously), chase after him and want to be there by his side protecting and supporting him. It’s like a role reversal from season 1. I enjoyed their interaction, their banter and the great kisses. It’s so nice to see two willing partners going at it and being passionate when the plot requires them to put a lot of emotions in those kisses. They look good together!

However, the romance-focused storylines took up a majority of the screen time, and thus not leaving enough time to develop the fantasy and mystery part of the plot. As a sequel to an amazing plot-driven season 1, this drama is actually very disappointing. If you are attracted to “Alchemy of Souls” because of a badass assassin FL, there’s not much badass-ness in this season. FL is reduced to a lovely Cinderella, waiting for prince charming to save her and love her. Her powers and memories were recovered too late to showcase her prowess as the priestess. There actually isn’t a whole lot of substance aside from romance in the first 8 episodes.

Episodes 9 & 10 seem to have a big tone shift back to what season 1 was like. All of a sudden, we’re talking about power, revenge, saving the world, different identities/souls in a very rushed manner. Without previous indication, all the baddies team up together. So much happened that I needed to concentrate hard so as not to miss anything. The editing was choppy and weird. What happened to Jang Uk’s love for Jin Bu Yeong in the first 8 episodes? Without going into spoilers, the romance doesn’t make sense anymore.

On a positive note, I think both Hwang Min Hyun (Seo Yul) and Shin Seung Ho (Crown Prince) improved their acting. I see a little more emotions in Hwang Min Hyun’s eyes. My favorites continue to be Leader Park Jin and Maidservant Kim. They are golden, but slightly more cringey than in season 1.

Overall, this is a disappointing sequel but if you watch it as a standalone romance-focused drama, you will have a better time.


Completed: 1/27/2023

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Green Flag Leads and Romance steer us through Coroner's cases and Palace schemes

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“Coroner’s Diary” was hailed to be the dark horse this summer of 2025. Without A-Listers or S-level promotion, this little drama received rave reviews from MDLers. I am a fan of Landy Li and really liked Ao Rui Peng in “Moonlight Mystique”, thus I want to check this one out. I liked it, but don’t love it like many others.

What I Like:

Green Flag leads.
It’s really lovely to see a drama when both the male and female leads are strong, smart and have a good head on their shoulders. They aren’t perfect individuals (but close enough) and will have time when they want to lash out. But throughout the drama, their personalities remain the same. They grow as a couple but individually, they didn’t change to someone I don’t recognize anymore or make decisions where I scratch my head. It seems to be harder and harder for writers to keep the characters consistent throughout the drama but they are able to do that here.

Main Romance.
Their romance is actually quite subtle though present throughout the drama. It was never the sole focus, but was there running side-by-side along the plot and complements it well. I love their romance in the first half when they were interested in each other, yet couldn’t or haven't voiced their feelings yet. I LOVE the confession scene when they’re stranded. It was without fanfare, just simple and honest feelings, which is just like their relationship - always there for each other and always honest and communicative. Nothing fancy but it was heartfelt and super romantic for me. I also like how once they are together, both parties take the initiative to show affection. We don’t have coy or shy FL/ML who acted like teenage virgins. Kisses, hugging and hand holding happen periodically and naturally. Their romance continues to blossom and mature as the drama goes, though definitely reduced in the last quarter. But how they continue to support each other with their own expertise and experience is evident.

Costumes/Sets
Though this is not a big budget production, money is well spent on the costumes and hair accessories. Landy Li looks beautiful in all of her outfits and even her makeup looks good, which is rare sometimes in period drama. And not only is she looking pretty but all the female characters have elaborate and beautiful costumes, as most of them are royals or in high society. Ao Rui Peng also looks dashing in his outfits, but I like him best in darker clothes and hair up. I LOVE the royal blue wedding costumes as well. I also noticed the sets are not always big and grand but they are well decorated with realistic props and accessories. Nothing looks cheap. I would have liked to see more natural lighting with candles, instead of fake bright light. The fight scenes are good when they happen (just a little bit of slow motion) and I want to see more action scenes.


What I have Mixed Feelings:

Cases
I was very interested in the first few cases - the bride, the well, and the sick wife. They are the most interesting ones to me and though they are not always unique or unpredictable, I was engaged and found them interesting. But as the drama goes, I seem to lose interest in the cases starting from the Chinese Opera one (which is about mid-drama). I have to give the drama props for going at it full force and not hesitating to show some ugly truths and graphic scenes. Seeing Landi Li scraping crap off of steamed bones, or holding an organ, is quite a sight. However, some of the corpses look quite fake and the graphics are not always realistic. When the cases have to then steer towards the political plot, it loses its uniqueness as a Coroner’s story, and the tone shifts. It’s hard to balance them as the political cases that require our FL’s attention will not be focused on her skillset anymore but serve as a plot device to move forward the palace schemes. A minor note, isn’t our female lead too perfect? She does not even make one simple error in anything.

Plot/Editing
The second half of the drama became very political with uninteresting cases. The story then focuses on the fight for the throne and the ugly side of the royal family. Some parts seem to be edited out to fit in 38 episodes. When did the 6th sister fall in love (after the initial encounter), get married, and now pregnant? I know she’s not important but if so, do we even need that in the first place? The last episode was jam-packed with events, though I can’t say it’s not exciting. But everything was revealed in succession rapidly and unrealistically, with one of the villains being easily captured within palace walls.

Acting
I think Landy Li and Ao Rui Peng did fine, with Landy Li being the best of the young cast. I liked Ao Rui Peng more in “Moonlight Mystique” and probably because I found him more charismatic and attractive there. Shen Yu Jie (Princess Yong Ning) did fine as well, especially when she plays a very supportive and lovely character. I remember liking her in “Hard to Find”. But I can’t shake off the young face of Yu Cheng En as the naive suitor in “Love Like the Galaxy”. His acting was OK but I can’t believe in his character, and he is probably the weakest of the 4. The rest of the young supporting and guest cast did fine. Of course, the veterans are great. I love the grandmothers and they really show the younger actors how to act and be charismatic at the same time. The Empress and Consort were both great in their fight for affection and their children. I would have loved to say the same about the Emperor, but towards the end, his acting became too cartoonish. Is it the director’s fault or the actor’s? I don’t know.



I might not have loved “Coroner’s Diary” as much as many viewers, but I will still recommend it if you like the genre and the actors. If I remember correctly, I think “The Imperial Coroner” does a better job with the cases tying it back to the big general plot, with an unique way of explaining the cases. But “Coroner’s Diary” shows a more realistic and graphic approach to these cases. Both dramas are lovely to watch, are similar yet different in a good way. “Coroner’s Diary” has a stronger and more mature romance plot that I enjoy more. Despite a slower pace in the middle of the drama, I was quite engaged and had a good time watching this drama.




Completed: 8/3/2025 Review #608

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Well-acted, Mature and Political, the OG is worth a watch!

“Scarlet Heart” is a very mature, reserved and political drama. This is probably because it’s based on real people, real princes and emperors. You have to honor what actually happened and fill in the gap between each event with creative writing. We know the ending of each prince, but how do we get there?

“Scarlet Heart” brought together a cast of veterans and newcomers with top notch acting. Liu Shi Shi is great and beautiful (with no modern technology to smooth her skin). I like her character development. I can’t believe this is Kenny Lin’s first drama. I also remember crushing on Kevin Cheng when I was young and when he first started singing. I was quite surprised he’s so good here. I enjoy the casting choice. Oftentimes, a drama would cast a young idol and make me believe he’s charismatic and can lead an army. Not here. All the princes look like princes and not young boys. These are scheming princes fighting for the crown, I have to believe they are intelligent and mature enough, and I do believe.

The pacing of the drama is quite good. I was very entertained in the first half of the drama and time went by fast! I enjoy seeing the different relationships FL has formed with each prince, and supporting characters. It’s lovely to see strong platonic friendships, young loves, rivalries, mature and complicated romances. The second half of the drama becomes more serious and darker. When palace politics take center stage, personal relationships change and that’s fun (LOL) to see their demise. Unfortunately, I also think there’s a little too much crying in the last few episodes and the drama’s pace slows down big time.

I have to applaud iQiyi for having good quality video and audio for this 2011 drama. Afterall, I’m watching this 14 years later. Otherwise, I might end up disliking it. I love the traditional palace setting, the set designs, costumes, hairstyles, accessories and everything that helps me immerse myself in their stories.

What’s missing for me, is the chemistry between FL and Prince #4. Their relationship is where the majority of the angst happened. Their early romance is too controlled, reserved and on the down low with limited and short conversations, minimal and secretive touching. I was unable to feel the sizzling chemistry and longing for each other. By the time they were in an open relationship and all the bad things happened, I was not as moved as I should be. I also didn’t like Prince #4 very much before he’s king and less when he became king. Is this Nicky Wu’s acting problem or just how the writing is? On the other hand, despite a slow start with Prince #8 (I can’t tell when he fell in love), at least later on I could feel the longing, the desperate desire to be with FL. The romances are so different because they happened at 2 different stages of FL’s life. One is not better than the other.

I also have a hard time with the passage of time. This drama spans many years, and oftentimes I don’t know how much time has passed. Didn’t Prince #8 just cry over FL’s sister and now he’s professing his love with a gift? Didn’t FL just move in with her sister and still have months before going to the palace? All of a sudden and it’s time to pack up and go! Time passes by in a jiffy and she’s been a tea girl for 10 years?

Since this is an old drama, I just need to laugh off the crappy green screen, especially the fake lotus pond. The scenes with the lotus are just hilarious. What’s up with the dubbed-over singing that totally didn’t match with anything. Don’t forget the regular bad dubbing and the body-double horseback riding.

Overall, I have a surprisingly good time watching this classic and I’m glad the Clown wheel picked this drama as my bingo challenge. Otherwise, I would never have picked it and now it makes me want to watch “Moon Lovers” (which I avoided) and might even watch the Thai adaptation when it airs. “Scarlet Heart” has its flaws, but with an excellent cast, interesting palace politics, beautiful sets and costumes plus a lovely OST, it was time well spent.



Completed: 2/7/2025 - Review #540

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Simple, Predictable but Sweet and Heartwarming Contract Relationship

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“The Best Day of My Life” is a short, simple, predictable but heartwarming and cute drama. The premise is simple - high school seatmates reunited due to work, and entered into a contract relationship as a consequence of a drunken social media post. Of course, we know how the story ends.

This is a stress-free watch for me. The drama has what I like in a romance drama - a contract relationship, unrequited long-term crush and the guessing game. There is no plot twist and you have probably seen the same plot many times. But what sets this drama apart is the Miss Green Flag, who is not a goody-two-shoes or Mary Sue. We often rave about Mr. Green Flags in dramas, and we have that here as well. But the female lead, Xu Mu, is likable, mature, smart, quick-witted, caring, sweet and generous. It’s no wonder the male lead falls in love with her at first sight, and for 12 years.

This green flag couple is easy to root for and I really enjoy their interaction and cohabitation, especially in the first half of the drama. Watching them put a smile on my face. But I do have to say it loses its momentum in the last few episodes. The lovey dovey scenes in the end are great, and the kisses are satisfying. But it doesn’t leave me the same happy feeling as in the first half of the drama. I love ML’s secret glances and smirks when he’s enjoying the fake relationship. I was also a little disappointed with the big confession scene and how FL found out about ML's long-term crush. The story of starting point/destination is great, I just felt the execution/writing could be better.

The secondary romance is a good contrast. I am not in love with the secondary couple, but they are not too bad either. I like the unique groom suit during the photoshoot on the beach. That has to be a first in a drama and it’s fun!

Overall, this is the perfect stress-relief for me at the moment. I would not say this is a must-watch. But fans of contract relationships and long-term crushes could check this out, especially since it's such a short drama.


Completed: 8/20/2024 - Review #474

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Cute...Interesting....Weird... and Creepy

What attracted me to watch “Memory in the Letter” is the interesting plot. What’s going to happen when you move into a new apartment and find someone living inside the mirror in your room? What’s even more weird is that a novel is detailing your experience with the guy in the mirror and you have no idea how that happens and who the author is.

The two leads, Parky and Beck, are pretty new to dramaland. I think their acting is decent for newbies. This is Parky’s first ever acting gig, and he’s done a lot better than others. Beck is adorable and is able to shoulder his first drama as a main lead pretty well. Can Atirut is quite a handsome guy, but he seems to always have a fake smile on his face with too much makeup.

There’s enough story to make this short drama into a full length one. Because there are only 6 short episodes, everything happens very quickly. In the first episode, not only have the leads met but they also fell in love right away. The first four episodes show us the quick romantic development, and they are really a cute and adorable pair. When a handsome stranger approaches you at a coffee shop and is super kind and helpful, one starts to wonder what his motive is. The mystery of the novel is interesting and is solved rather quickly.

Episode 5 tells us Songjam’s side of the story. Even though it’s important to learn of his experience, I miss Aksorn here. I think the best part of this drama is when Aksorn and Songjam are together and doing little romantic things. With Aksorn’s absence, I lost a little interest.

Spoiler……Episode 6
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This is when the creepy part comes in. It’s an interesting twist that we finally find out the identity of this mysterious kind stranger. But if I do the math right, he’s at least 40-45 years older than Aksorn. I cannot for the life of me see him acting all smitten and lovey dovey with Aksorn. This age gap is quite hard to accept when he’s the one who helps bring Aksorn into this world, literally. The romantic feelings I have in the first 4 episodes are all gone. What’s left is a creepy old guy (who looks the same for the past 20 years with a fake smile) trying to rekindle old flames and flirt/court a 20 year old.



I am not sure if the drama follows the web novel well and if it also feels creepy in the end. It’s unfortunate as I really enjoyed the first four episodes despite everything happening at lightning speed. But this is a low budget Thai drama, so I am willing to overlook that because Songjam and Aksorn are adorable with good chemistry, and it has a couple nice songs. With that positive note, I am not rate this lower than 7.5.


Completed: 5/21/2024 - Review #441

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Average typical Republican low-budget web drama. It's OK. Nothing special.

The Republican era seems to be a really popular time period for these low-budget short web dramas. How does “Miss Mystery” stack up against the likes of “Provoke”, “Maid’s Revenge” and “Everlasting Bride”? Well, I think it’s in the middle of the pack.

The story is straightforward - hidden identity, secrets, revenge, and falling in love. Since this is a short drama, I’m glad it didn’t have too complicated a plot. That was my biggest complaint about “Everlasting Bride”. Cinematography, acting and chemistry are not as good as “Provoke”, and the ML is not as handsome as Mr. Abs, Dai Gao Zheng, but he does have some nice abs. LOL. I also don’t think the FL is as pretty as the female leads in other dramas.

Acting is not impressive in the earlier episodes, especially for the female lead. Her portrayal of the calm and smart FL is a little bland and emotionless. ML is a little better. However, I did notice some improvement towards the second half of the drama. For some reason, I found the dubbed voices ‘acted’ better than the actors themself. ML’s voice sounds so much more mature than the actor’s face.

The plot is nothing special and we’ve seen this many times. At least we have a male lead that’s not mean or abusive to the female lead (except for one drunken, frustrated scene). I would have loved to see the push-and-pull between the leads last a little longer, and the ML not falling in love and be so smitten that quickly. It doesn’t have the sexy tension that “Provoke” has. However, I do applaud them for some pretty good kisses from both leads. Female lead is also too smart. Everything goes her way and she’s the mastermind of everything.

Given this is a lower budget production, the quality is decent. Nothing seems too cheap. I like the mysterious opening theme song. I do dislike the use of slow motion in romantic scenes and especially in non-romantic regular scenes. Why would you do that?

It’s an OK drama and I probably won’t recommend it unless you are a fan of the actors or this type of genre. These are short 15-minute episodes, so if you want something quick and easy, it’s OK.


Completed: 3/14/2024 - Review #417

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Decent but not great - OST is good.

Completed: 7/19/2022

"Dear. M" is a short web series about college life, romance and choices that our characters have to make. For a web-based drama, the production quality is pretty decent. It doesn't really stand out amongst a sea of many other college dramas.

What I Like:
1. OST - I enjoy all the songs played. I am not too familiar with the actors in this drama, but if they are the ones really singing the songs in the drama, they are good. Spotify OST listed different singers that are not the actors. I especially like the duet between Park Hye Soon and Jeong Jae Hyun. The solo song by Jeong Jae Hyun was also very romantic.

2. Jeong Jae Hyun - It seems like this is his first acting gig and he did a pretty good job. I've seen many other web dramas with idol-turned-actors that couldn't act.

3. Park Hye Soon - I am glad the bullying allegations were put to rest and we got to see her in "Dear. M". She doesn't have too many dramas under her belt, but I quite enjoy her portrayal of Ma Joon Ah here. Is it only me or does she look like Zhao LuSi?

4. Ma Joon Ah + Cha Min Ho romance - I enjoy the Friends-to-Lovers trope personally, and I feel that their relationship changes and progresses at a pretty good pace throughout the drama from: realization --> shock --> denial --> hesitancy --> confession --> acceptance. I would have loved for them to get together a little sooner so that I can see some cute and fluffy scenes.


What I have mixed feelings:

1. Gil Mok Jin + Hwang Bo Young romance - There's so much potential for this romance. However, it all started too late and we couldn't really see any fun romantic development before they quickly got together. They were two really unique characters and I would have loved to see them have more screen time as a couple.

2. Dear M - Well, it was quite an interesting reveal to find out who actually wrote the Dear M posts. However, aside from the initial few episodes where people actually care who wrote the posts, for most of the drama this plot was put on the side in favor of the annoying love triangle. It pops back up periodically but really holds no importance to the central plot.


What I Don't Like:

1. Choi Ro Sa - What an annoying b!tch...LOL. Why do dramas always make the female character this annoying and despicable? I understand sometimes a drama needs a character as such to spice it up. But she has wayyyy too much screen time in this drama. Her scheming lasts throughout the drama and it really affects my enjoyment. She's listed as a supporting character but I think she has more screen time than Gil Mok Jin and Hwang Bo Young.

2. Seo Ji Min + Park Ha Neul romance - The drama probably focuses the most time on their romance and love triangle. They are fine and I do like a drama that tackles challenges of a relationship. But the characters themselves are quite boring (though they are a cute couple). If Ji Min keeps on saying that she's had a crush on Ha Neul for the longest time, I'd like to see some flashbacks of them before they're officially a couple. Show me how they got together in the first place, then I can understand why Ji Min is so adamant that Ha Neul doesn't like her as much as she likes him. Because from what I've seen, Ha Neul has done quite a lot to care for her.

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Decent first 1/3, Draggy second 1/3 and disappointing last 1/3

Completed - 5/20/2022 - 7.25 rounding up to 7.5 because of 《喜欢你》 “I Like You”

When “A River Runs Through It” was airing, I heard many good things about it. So, I was looking forward to finally watching it. Unfortunately, I placed this drama on hold twice, before successfully finishing it on the third try. I’ve seen my share of high school/college dramas, I do not agree that it’s the best of the bunch. It’s not bad per se, but the plot and the romance are not interesting enough. A reminder, this is a very subjective review and don’t hate me for the following rants.

As with many teen C-dramas, the focus is on studying for the high school exam, entering college, friendships, love triangles and growing up. These are pretty common themes in this genre. I find the first half of the drama more interesting than the second half as we get to know each character and their dynamics. This drama is very romance-driven and didn’t really tackle a lot of serious student or social issues compared to similar dramas. I am a romance-junkie, so I am fine with looking forward to cute, romantic fluffiness. We have the cute bickering between our leads and feelings developing from friendship to romance. Unfortunately, it took 29 episodes for Shi Yi to finally confess his feelings. I am fine with a slow burn romance if the middle episodes weren’t repetitive and draggy. The unrequited love and love hexagon lasted for way too long. What I disliked the most were the last 5 or so episodes. They are full of coincidental misunderstandings one after another to keep the leads away from each other. If you think that the first half of the drama is a realistic portrayal of student life, you can’t convince me those misunderstanding episodes are realistic. There’s no way that could happen in real life.

Usually, I would be a fan of the ML in such dramas. Unfortunately, it’s not the case here. I am a fan of ML who secretly does a lot behind the girl’s back to support her and Shi Yi should be a prime candidate as one of my favorites. Unfortunately, aside from his adorable looks at FL, I find his character too rough and too mean. He manhandles Xiao Ju quite a bit and there’s a lot of wrist grabbing. It’s rare that I don’t have a favorite character, not the ML, FL or 2ML. Maybe I should applaud the drama for giving us flawed characters but I still want someone to root for. However, I was still very sad when Shi Yi’s feelings weren’t reciprocated and he tried so hard. But why force Xiao Ju to like him, when he himself turned down the affections of Shen Dou? Xiao Ju was also wish-washy for too long.

The overall acting of the cast is decent. I think Wang Rui Chang portrays his role as Shi Yi the best. Female lead, Hu Yi Xuan, isn’t too bad either. But the rest of the cast is below average to average. I find the acting of Judy Qi as Lin You to be one of the weakest cast members. For some reason, her voice dubbing is also the worst. I believe all actors used their real voice, but Lin You’s voice doesn’t sound right.

*SPOILER ENDING*

The last episode is a disappointment to end their marathon romance. They never resolved the misunderstandings from years ago. They had no contact for many years. Now they met, and Shu Yi played the meanie again and probably tried to gauge Shu Yu’s affection and bring back their childhood memories. But why would you propose at your friend’s wedding and steal their thunder? Why would you propose to someone you haven’t seen in years and is still mad at you? And lastly, why would you accept a proposal from someone who you thought had a girlfriend, was mean to you yesterday and had no contact with you for so long? That just doesn’t make sense. On a separate note, how can you not know who your BFF is marrying? What kind of best friend are you?

To end my review on a more positive note, the best thing about this drama is to remind me of the two lovely songs - 《喜欢你》 “I Like You” and《你知道我在等你吗》”Do you know I am waiting for you?” These two songs remind me of my younger years when I used to go to karaoke and sing them, esp. “I Like You” by Beyond (RIP Wong Ka Kui)

Personally, I think there are better high school/college dramas than “A River Runs Through It”. For example,
1. Forever Love (my favorite college romance)
2. Summer Again (sweet and innocent high school romance)
3. Lovely Us4.
4. With You
5. My Huckleberry Friends
6. When We Were Young

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Most Romantic + Amazing Chemistry without much Physical Affection/Touching

9/19/2021

I've wanted to watch this drama when it first aired, but hold off until I can binge watch it. I was afraid the drama might not live up to my expectations or all the glowing reviews I've read. I am happy to say that, it deserves all the praise. It's so beautiful and heartbreaking that you can only recover knowing "Forever and Ever" is coming right up! I love Bai Lu and really liked Allen Ren in "Under the Power". They have so much chemistry; you love them so much and cry with them every step of the way. I can't wait to watch when they can live happily ever after thousands of years later.

What I like:

1. Bai Lu/Allen Ren - They ARE the show. Their chemistry is amazing. All the loving looks, torturous looks, longing gazes, side glances... all of them. As my headline stated, there isn't much touching or physical affection. There is no kiss. But I never feel the need for them to kiss (and I LOVE kisses, esp. Bai Lu's kisses). If there's a kiss, I think it might destroy the pure, innocent romance. I am happy with a few touches, and a few hugs (though they are all sad hugs). When I see tears welling up in their eyes, my tears start to fall with theirs. Bai Lu has to be the most beautiful actress when crying. She has such a natural, beautiful, heartbreaking look when she is crying. I've seen quite a few of Bai Lu's dramas, and I love her the best here. Allen Ren has equally expressive eyes and he has even less to say in words, but more with his actions and his eyes. Oh, I feel his regret for swearing not to get married. When you watch the BTS of them, you realize how great their acting is. They had so much fun and laugh so much, yet their characters are totally opposite.

2. Acting - Aside from our main leads, the supporting cast is quite good as well. Everyone acted naturally, even the villains. Over-the-top and cartoonish villains are one of my pet peeves, and I am glad we don't find that in this drama. The veterans actors are of course great, but the younger cast is quite good as well. I quite like Wang Xing Yue/Liu Zi Xing, even though he doesn't have too many scenes.

3. Cui Shi Yi (FL) - I really like Shi Yi's character, our female lead. She is shy and reserved, but smart and brave. She is not a pushover and will speak up (or sign) for what's right and just. She is not afraid to show her affection for ML and is often the one that initiates any physical affection. She might be shy, but she's straightforward and honest about her feelings and communicates well with ML. I really like her as our female lead.

4. Allen Ren in Uniform - I know this is vain, but Allen Ren looks like a prince in white and dashing/fearless when he's in black. Just looking at his face, I don't find him super attractive, but when he's in a historical drama and wearing a uniform, he just oozes charisma and charm. I felt the same way watching in "Under the Power".

5. Fight Scenes - I am pleasantly surprised that I enjoy the fight choreography and scenes in this drama. There is no slow-mo spinning or close-up of the actors' faces. No useless posing in front of the camera in the middle of the fight. The fights scenes are better than some I've seen in wuxia dramas.

6. *SPOILER* Episode 16 - this is my favorite episode. It's one of the more heartbreaking but super romantic episode. We have the death of a teacher/father figure. Our leads just spent a little couple time together to heal each other and then we got the announcement of FL's marriage again. The scene when FL tried to touch ML's nose, and he leaned forward and let her touch him.... my heart. That's one of the most romantic scenes ever esp. because we know what will happen to them in the future.

What I don't Like (nitpicking here):
1. BGM - The background music is a little tad loud for my taste. However, when the dialog resumes, the music is toned down and I can listen to what the actors are saying.

2. Sign Language - it seems like even some people who don't know FL well or long can understand her sign language?

3. *SPOILER* FL's ending - It's a little unrealistic that she was so heavily guarded for so long, yet when she walked off by herself to go up the tower, no one followed her? Only that one general who knows what's happening. But what about the other guards, maids, etc.? Literally no one until the King comes?

Other observations:
1. OST - There are a few songs in this drama and they all sounded beautiful. I'm happy that they are not played all the time but only as needed. The BGM also complements the scenes well.

2. It seems like no one is getting a happy ending in the romance department, not even the supporting cast. This has got to be the only drama I've seen that no one ends up happy. I wish they all live happily ever happy in "Forever and Ever".

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Super Cringefest that's only fun if you watch with friends and laugh together

If I have to use one word to describe “Playboyy”, it would be CONSISTENT. How can a drama be so CONSISTENTLY cringey, sappy, nonsensical with poor acting all throughout the 14 episodes??? That in itself is an amazing feat.

I debated whether to rate this lower than my lowest rated drama “Coffee & Vanilla”. I finally decided to give this a whopping 4.0 just because of the entertainment value. So, now it’s my second lowest rated drama. Watch this with an open mind and enjoy the ride. Nothing makes sense!!!

A few quick thoughts as I don’t even know how to write a proper review:

1. BAD acting all around. I was hoping they would get better, but nope, it’s one of the worst-acted dramas I’ve ever seen.
Well, at least some guys are hot and have nice bodies.
2. I am fine with all the sex and the different fetishes, fantasies, etc. In fact, I wanted the drama to go bolder and more explicit.
3. It ended up wanting to be unique but not quite achieving that. All the sexy scenes are just cringey.
4. I also cringe every time the random English dialogs pop up out of nowhere.
5. Too many names and I don’t remember who’s who. I barely recognize all of their faces. Gotta go with the nicknames.
6. There are some crazy outfits worn in the drama, especially by Nant.
7. I wonder if the actors all get boxes of underwear as part of their deals. There’s so much product placement in this drama.
8. I quite liked the romance between Zouey and Teena (Greek god) in the beginning, but then they disappeared after they got together, and became the most boring pair. The drama threw in a twist in the end and then gave you the worst writing ever.
9. What the heck is that ending??? Is there going to be a season 2? Did the drama run out of money to write a complete season 1? The screenwriter got to be fired.

Unfortunately, I did not join any watch parties. This would be an amazing drama to watch with friends and laugh about it. Do I recommend it? Definitely NOT unless you have nothing better to do, or you just want a cringefest to laugh with your friends.


Completed: 3/2/2024 - Review #411

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Couldn't live up to initial hype with uneven pacing and a crash & burn ending

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

“Pursuit of Jade” was all the hype when it was first aired. The Feeds couldn’t get enough of Zhang Ling He (of course) and also praised how much they love the female lead, Fan Chang Yu (played by the adorable Tian Xi Wei). Add on a long silver haired toxic Deng Kai, it has all the ingredients to be a successful drama. But then, it somewhat crashed in the end and just could not stick the landing. “Pursuit of Jade” is not a bad drama, but the expectations were just so high that many were disappointed. I don’t always agree with the ‘highs’ but I do with the ‘lows’.

Since the title of the drama is about the pursuit of Jade, Jade I assume is the female lead. The story focuses on her journey much more so than the male lead. I guess this causes some criticisms that the male lead’s character was not fully utilized. His investigation of what happened 17 years ago gave us the initial setting of a plot that is not romance-focused. But as the story goes, his investigation becomes more of a way to help FL instead. Did he still want to find out what happened? For sure! But I think he cares more for FL than his father’s death.

Many love Fan Chang Yu (FL). She’s smart, caring, sweet, and strong both physically and mentally. She can hold her own, push back when needed, even when she’s in love or heartbroken. Yan Zheng (ML) never gets an upper hand when he’s fighting with her. He will eventually give in. She has girl power! She will fight alongside her man in battles, but not behind him. She saves his ass a few times, too. But there are certain decisions she made that I want to shake some sense into her. I was especially mad at her for her actions in the army camp. She is smart enough to know you can’t do whatever you want and not follow the rules. She’s not a careless person, but a very considerate one. Yet, time and time again, she didn’t listen. Of course, Yan Zheng is at fault as well, as he kept his identity a secret for way too long. Additionally, she said she wants to be independent, not relying on others and doesn't like others making decisions for her. Yet she did that several times to Yan Zheng and Li Huai An. She made decisions on their behalf all in the name of protecting them. I don’t think she would have appreciated them doing the same to her. She doesn’t care what others are going to gossip about her and her status, yet she would break up with Yan Zheng for his sake. This girl has a lot of double standards! Having said all that, she’s still a rare independent and strong female character.

Many also love the first 17 episodes when a lot of time is spent in the village. Those times were a great set up and introduction to most characters. It’s the time when romance blooms in a slow but natural way. The villagers are mostly likeable and even the annoying ones aren’t that bad. However, I might be one of the few that feels the happy times lasted a little long. I wanted a little more of the serious plot, e.g. investigation of what happened 17 years ago, the scheming that the silver fox is doing behind-the-scenes, or court politics. Because this didn’t happen much, the last 10 episodes felt rushed. I knew a lot was going to happen, that’s why I wanted the happy village arc to end soon. There’s a lot of business ML needs to attend to instead of hanging out in the village!

As for the actual romance, I do like the scenes of the leads together. They have good (not great) chemistry and they are both very likable. I’m glad to see ML didn’t fall into the lovesick puppy trope and forgets he is a ruthless warrior. I like that he only goes soft for her, but resumes his charisma when he’s needed. Aside from the hidden identity part, they communicate, understand each other and have a very loving and healthy, mature romance. Well, but the kiss scenes are quite disappointing. We all know Zhang Ling He can do better. I think even Tian Xi Wei kissed better in “Moonlit Reunion” with Xu Kai than in this drama. But luckily, our toxic couple comes in and saves the day. The secondary romance between Yu Qian Qian and Qui Min has so much potential. Both are great actors, have good chemistry yet the story felt very one-note. There’s not enough backstory about Qi Min’s obsession with Yu Qian Qian. Is it just because he saved her? All their scenes are the same: he’s obsessed with her, she wants to rebel and leave, rinse and repeat. I wish we got more, especially Yu Qian Qian’s backstory with what she said she came from a faraway land.

Let’s talk about the last 5 episodes and how disappointing they are. I will try to not spoil anything. This is the most childlike, unexciting and anti-climatic palace takeover I’ve seen in a big production. While the takeover is happening, on the other hand, we got some family drama/duel. Where is the sense of urgency here?? Additionally, we got dumped a lot of information/revelation about what really happened 17 years ago. Where is the foreshadowing? There’s so much time in the first half of the drama to plant more seeds, so the revelation doesn’t feel so sudden. The breadcrumbs that were shared through a couple flashbacks were not enough. It was a disappointing end to a great start of the drama.

Well, my review is getting long. So I’m going to wrap it up by saying I would only recommend this drama if you like Zhang Ling He, Tian Xi Wei, Deng Kai, Snow Kong and Yan Yi Juan (ML’s uncle). Their acting is great and they have good chemistry. But if you want a well-written and well-executed drama, I do not recommend it. I would go for “Moonit Reunion” if you like Tan Xi Wei. She’s amazing in that one, too.



Completed: 4/2/2026 Review #680

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Simple, Sweet, Innocent slowburn Romance that gives me Butterflies.

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

“Feel What You Feel” is a Hong Kong/China co-production and that’s how it can slip past China’s censorship and gives us a few kisses and intimate scenes. This drama is not going to wow or surprise you with plot twists you have never seen before. Its merit comes from the slice-of-life simplicity and innocence. If that’s what you are looking for, this is an adorable love story.

Led by first time actors, Sun Cai Zhen and Liang Bei Yi, they really brought out the sweetness of these two young college students. I am especially impressed with Sun Cai Zhen, who is fun, outgoing and adorable as Yu Lei. His extroverted personality contrasts well with Liang Bei Yi’s Chen Ke. I can’t help but fall for Sun Cai Zhen’s handsome looks and sunshine personality. Liang Bei Yi’s acting is not bad for a first timer, but pales in comparison a little bit.

Their romance only encounters minor bumps, and misunderstandings are resolved rather quickly through honest, heart-to-heart conversations. I can’t help but smile whenever I see the two of them together. The characters are young, and the drama focuses on them slowly developing and realizing feelings of being more than just friends. Viewers might get frustrated because we can clearly see that Yu Lei and Chen Ke are acting like a couple. But for them, this is a slow realization and they just care deeply for each other. I would have liked some more time at the end of them as a couple and really give me some fluffy times.

One thing I like about this drama is the use of Chinese references to skirt past the stigma of gay romance or homosexuality. This drama does not talk about the challenges of coming out of the closet at all. Maybe it should have, since it was set in the 2000s. Instead, friends were watching the Hong Kong gay romance movie “Happy Together” (1997) which was a big deal back then. Two prominent Hong Kong actors, Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung, starred in this hit movie. It also referenced Chinese legends, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai 梁山伯與祝英 in “Butterfly Lovers”, where the male lead fell in love with the female lead disguised as a man.

“Feel What You Feel” is not without faults. My main criticism is with the gloomy student and the chaos he created towards the end. If the reason for this twist is to drive the couple closer together, I think there could be better ways to do that. The secondary romance is cute and contrasts well with the main couple, but the execution could be better. It all feels lightning fast when their story could have started sooner, instead of dragging out the ‘love triangle’.

I was looking for something light to watch and “Feel What you Feel” hits the mark perfectly. I love their sweet, slow-burn romance and especially the main lead, Sun Cai Zhen. The drama has its faults and it’s nothing you have never seen before. I just found the two main leads really likeable and enjoy seeing them together very much. Thus, I am giving this a very subjective high 8.25-8.5.


Completed: 5/12/2026 Review #687

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Chemistry is Chemistrying all the way

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I love the chemistry between all the actors in “You Are My Fateful Love”. And I am not just talking about the romantic chemistry between the leads, but actually everyone.

**ML + FL - great chemistry from high school to adulthood; slow burn romance but full of fluff towards the last 10 eps
**2ML + 2FL - funny pair and I LOVE the scene when 2ML poured his heart out, thinking it’s going to be a sad ending.
**ML + 2ML - these buddies are hilarious. They are so fun and I would watch their scenes all day long
**FL + 2FL - awesome supportive sismance in life and in the workplace
**Familial relationship - ML + sister, FL + parents, FL + ML’s sister = everyone is so adorable and supportive. The best family you can ask for
**Sis and her BFF/BF - young and cute together

The characters are the best part of the drama. We have two green flag MLs, but they are not boring. ML is smart, but petty. 2ML is sweet yet emotional. The girls are not without flaws, but are so likable. The two romance storylines are different but enjoyable in their own way.

The main romance is slow burn, but their high school stories are slowly revealed. If you are patient enough, you will be rewarded with a lot of sweet and romantic moments. “You Are My Fateful Love” is not one of those dramas with a rushed happy ending. It spends a great deal of time in the last couple episodes to show you this is a true romantic comedy.

Having said all this, why am I not rating this higher? It’s not a perfect drama. The plot could be written a little tighter. We could probably shorten the drama to about 24-26 episodes. The slow burn is really slow burn for a rom-com. Towards the end, you know ML’s father's story and why they moved to San Francisco will be shown. Yet, the way it’s done somehow breaks the rom-com feel and becomes a half-baked law/crime story. Although I applaud the actors for speaking English and not getting dubbed, it was still quite hard to understand. I like many songs in this drama, but some songs are overplayed. You also get the typical cheesy rom-com bright white light during a kiss scene, romantic music playing and slow motion twirling.

I did have a pretty good time watching “You Are My Fateful Love”. This is a good drama to watch if you want a low stress romantic comedy to kill time. Fans of Miles should not miss his handsome face and awesome kisses. In the end, my heart tells me 8.25 is probably the highest I can give because I like the chemistry and the characters so much, and the actors are not dubbed.



Completed: 4/22/2026 Review #685

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Excellent Acting but full of Plot holes and stupid decisions by an Elite

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75-8.0
Objective Rating: 7.5

I was lucky enough to watch this movie at the theater, which probably increases the suspense and excitement. As I finished watching the movie, I had one big question and one production value complaint. But as I thought more about the movie and read some other comments, there are more and more plotholes.

The acting of the cast is this movie’s strongest point. I am already a big fan of Zhu Yi Long and never really question his acting performance. Jackson Yee acts in more movies than dramas, but his acting is just as good and more subtle than Zhu Yi Long’s more expressive and explosive acting. Rounding up the cast are the veterans Song Jia and Lei Jia Yin, and supporting roles in Yang Mi, Liu Shi Shi and Lin Bo Yang.

If I don’t use my brain much, this movie is full of action, suspense and emotional outbursts. With great acting, time went by really fast. I was engaged and followed along the story, tried to see who the mole was and then looked forward to the decisions made and the ending of the mole.

But once I start to use my brain, then things don’t act up. Why did the mole finally act on being the spy and do bad things? Yes, it might be a scandal since he used his genitals instead of his brain. But that should not force him to act on continuing being that spy. He actually hasn’t done anything horrible yet when he figured out he was set up in the beginning. For someone who is an elite, the dumb decisions made by him are incomprehensible. You knew who set you up, yet you continue to protect her (and think with your genitals) instead of reporting everything to your supervisors to save your ass. Where is his brain??

Women in this drama are resorted to side characters. Yang Mi might have a slightly bigger role. She’s pretty and sexy, and was selling her sex appeal in a way. Liu Shi Shi has a much smaller role. All she did was cry. What a waste of talent. Even Song Jia as the female lead has a lot less screen time than the two male leads. She also didn’t do much aside from a few conversations here and there. Lin Bo Yang disappeared after the initial 10-15 minutes of the movie.

My initial production complaint is the inconsistency of the depiction of this future world. Aside from some fancy drones, fast technology in locating criminals, fancy security cameras, the general feel of this world does not seem very futuristic. The taxis look like regular slow pokes. The cop cars look like regular cars these days. Even when one of the male leads is stalking the other one, it was done in such a low-tech way. Disguise is putting on a wig, mask and changing clothes. Leaving cell phones wrapped in plastic inside trash bins everywhere is child’s play. I guess the janitors don’t really do a good job with emptying trash linings.

To end on a positive note, the OST is great. The songs are appropriate and complement the events on screen. The songs all have a very melancholy sound to it but beautiful.

If it’s not for the excellent acting and the interesting suspense and cat-and-mouse chase (and when I didn’t use my brain much at the theater), I would have rated this movie a little lower. But I was entertained throughout and did find the movie “fun” when I came out of the theater. Therefore, I am giving this an 7.75, rounding up to 8.0. I just wish the script was better and the plot holes are smaller.



Completed: 3/5/2026 Review #672

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Sweet Romance can't save Below Average acting and Annoying Childish character

Looking for a drama full of fluffy moments? Look no further because “Your Sky” will give you cavities, especially if you like the cute and adorable leads who are always happy and smiley. The main romance is practically smooth-sailing from start to finish and the drama won’t give you angst. There’s an episode towards the end that might give you a momentarily pause on the sugar, but it only lasted an episode and it’s for an understandable reason.

However, I have two main criticisms of “My Sky”

Acting - The acting is overall below average. I understand the leads are not that experienced but it’s really hard to see them either act exaggeratedly or emotionlessly. There are flashes of decent acting but not enough. I would not say they are horrible but their acting did bug me from start to finish. I can’t deny Thomas (as Muenfah) is a handsome fellow and when he’s not so wooden and flashes a shy little smile, I have a silly grin on my face. On the other hand, Kong’s happy Teerak is harder to tolerate. Both main leads’ line delivery also seem robotic. It seems like they are thinking really hard to remember the lines and carefully deliver them.

Teerak’s childish character - Teerak is supposed to be a 20-year college student. But he behaves like a 15-year old high school kid. You can be happy and sunshiney without whining and acting like a child. What’s worse is his whole family treating him like a kid. It’s no wonder he acts like one. Just the regular family interaction gives me the shivers. Teerak’s friends also treat him like this naive little boy. Muenfah definitely dotes on his little boyfriend. He’s the perfect green flag boyfriend that does everything for you, cares for you and lovingly pats your head. It was just a little too much. And because the drama builds Teerak’s character to be such a child, it was a little weird watching his first NC/intimate scene.

Despite listing two major pain points, this is an easy-to-watch drama. Like I said, it’s full of sweet moments. The friends group are lovable and supportive. Even the annoying ‘villain’ isn’t that bad. I especially like the first half of the drama when the leads are trying to learn to act like a couple in a pretend relationship. I’m also a big fan of fake/contract relationships, so as they are pretending and falling in love, that’s my favorite part of the show. Muenfah is such a sweetheart. He asks for permission and checks in the next morning to make sure Teerak is fine. Consent in a Thai BL? No forced kisses? No wrist grab? Wow!

After they got together, we got some really sweet and cute moments. But the plot is not moving and not much happened, except for the family drama. The last few episodes are over an hour long each, and the drama feels like it’s dragging towards the finish line. The secondary best-friends-to-lovers couple and the last-minute boring couple are not given sufficient time to develop their storyline. What a waste of a potential good best-friend-to-lovers romance. They should have scraped that boring last-minute couple completely.

But to end on a good note, the kisses are great. I spotted a little tongue action from Thomas. Their kisses are sweet and romantic, yet passionate and not eating each other’s faces. Their last intimate scene shows growth in the characters and in their love story. There’s visibly more passion and a little lust, yet still done in a tasty manner. Thomas looks really good in his non-school uniform and he is quite handsome. They actually show these students in school, and working on class projects and not just hanging out in the cafeteria and causing problems. Muenfah’s family is super sweet and adorable, though unrealistic.

I am not sure if I will recommend this drama because I am not a fan of the acting (it’s not horrible but it’s a personal taste). However, if you are looking for something sweet and cute, and are more forgiving about the acting performance of these young and inexperienced actors than me, then this is a good watch for a quick sugar rush.




Completed: 1/6/2026 Review #659

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